Gathering machine distributor



May 24, 1949. E, s, HOPE 2,471,214

GATHERING MACH INF DISTRIBUTOR Filed Jan. 24, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

fR/C 6. Ho

ATTORNEY E. S.-HOPE GATHERING MACHINE DISTRIBUTOR May 24,1949

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1948 INVENTOR. 52/0 5 /70P.

ATTORNEY Patented May 24, 1949 T Eric is; eta, eliibh, N. assignor;

. nm s, to n r-8: Mach ne me 'G a I- l'i. 11 'Qi j. This'invention relates to. gathering machine distributors, more particularly to apparatus}, for receiving cards :or sheets from a. gatheringv machine and distributing them, in a numberl of stacks,-to boxes moving-onaoonveyorlbelt;

Myv previous application ;for. a. gatheringgmar chine, filed April 4, i19 4'1..Serial N0..-742,89l, dis;- closes an "arrangement for assembling and CO1? lecti'ng a variety ofscards or sheets in. stacks, it is Within theeontemblationofsthepresent invenr tion to enable suchvariegated stacks to I he dei+ posited into boxes atfthe same time: toedi: vide them into a number of "groups; soithat; each group cou'ld be -pos'itioned"-in 'a difierentfsection or compartment ofa; box; 9' ;And it iis an important:objectoithis invention to enectedelivery of sueh' grouped stacks; inla continuous' operation. into boxes carriedby a conveyor system. l .i L f 'nother object is to} enable theiaforesaid dis.- tr'ibution to be accomplished in conjunctionwith the gathering machine described in my saidvpree vious ep15lic:atior'1 f 1 I L i Still another objector-my invention is taprovi de;adjusting; m'eans in connection. with l the ape paratua for varying} the -;contents and: sizeeof each stack, the number ofstacks, and for" ac.- commodating to cards, sheets and boxes of different sizesand proportions. s.

It isfafurtherobl'ect to provide Emeline capable ofattaining the aforesaid obj ectives; in a s'impleand economical manner, ethat. is some giltely eutmpaue, and that .will obviate .the danger'of theboxes and theiricon'tents. =v

; Other" -objects,-- features and advantages n. will appear fromi -thei drawings and 'the s description hereinafterigiven .QJ. Referring to thdrawingsr 1 H Figure 1 is a plan;view--of the distributor an:- pa'ratus according :to 'my" invention, showing; a plurality of boxes on the conveyomforming part of the inventiomv. 4- :Figure 2 is a 'somewhatlc'enlarged, transverse seet'ion'of Fjigure 1' taken along line;22;-' j

E'ig ii;1 -'3 1s a; somewhat enlarged front ;e1'eva: tion I; iiortiori 6f Figureflglookin from 3 3; igural frag mehtar'y perspective'ofthe last stage the"app'aratus.of Figure 1;" Figure '5 as an enlargedplan' 'view showingia modifiedfdi in dfi 'deflector Jguidefused in my :in-' ventionkthe view sh'ovving itheil'ast stage; hand Figure"6"i's-a jar-ejected front 'ellevaticn' 'ofi the belt-*typeof "deflector guide of: Figure. 5; :In 1 iguresll -of thefdrawings,h-whichnilluss trate a preferred embodiment ofmil-invention,

Inc New lg ork lfil, -;acor orationt- 7 Application Januart 24, 194s, s-eriaiNo; 4; 1 co .v (01152126711;

mesne i 11.5 i. v

gement mime banks 0% 3- i d LA. is there is shown an arran vsheet":o'r-. .ca'rd delivery units,,;,the banks being identified-t as 'A;.B:and 0,: there being positioned .-in:fr'ont of delivery. hoppers .01:2 ma ler v f ed n means, andlisoiidifipQ edii sfiitfl re l y? same 39 sheets and carryzthem":fonwand-zt'o boxes mov n oh a conveyorsbelt; as; lw'rllc more t specifically be .hereinafterxj described: ;:.embodiment shown, the-.appanatusis adantedsioricoactir me with." the 'gathering machine r ofig-thel" toresaid patent application, SerialrfNof: 142,8 each of Ith-e oscillating trensfersarmsi-w. E1 2) ispivotallyrcarried'hyshait :J Leach; arm; hav: ing preferably rubberfeiaced transfer'hollers ".12 which re"ceive" a2 card: 7 1.3: mm z;a.i;hopperi i(not shown) ,"andlfee'd it toe .disc-hargei-ro-ller dr z-belt. No description i need;'here belgivenzof :the i hopper construction and associatedv inerhbersyz inasmuch asthes are no part of ktlfe'; iiresefitrinwiention; otherthan" the illustratedlrelation .betweenythe said transfer rollers" 12 and the elements :of f my invention which will nowb described'. a.

Cooperating with tlie' sjaid 'transfer .rollersifl of a suitable gathering-machine are the delivery members I 4 which; ass-aforesaid receive cards .13 and deliver-them to 'eonveyed boxes; y In the pre ferredform; the said 'deli'very members l4 4 can i sist of pairs of elongated extension: belts; 15 and 1'6, ea h con stingmtlqop's mounted over op o sitely dispo sed roll'ers fsb that; leii'g ths ligandit are in parallel adjacent 'relation and--adapted to hold therebetween -a-- sheet s'uch T-he said rollers comprise the coacti-n'g -rollers'I9-;and 20 at the receiving end 121 and 'the caeting rollers 22 and}: at thedischarg. end 24 of the said de livery members I 4'. The-belt-ler'igths' l1 and -IB move from the receiving-end? j -=to the discharge end ,24, at uniform speeds'; the belts' beihgactuated by Imeans jgiis haft 25;011 26- suita-blydriven by any, known, means. v j'ljh said shafts -25 are hown supportedb vertiqa ih new-but known mannerwithin the scope of thisinve'ntion; Disposed below, the extension del-iverybelts-i M isthetable29.,Whichgohtains a'lon gitudinal 's'plit center-line of the conveyor and supported by the table, underlie the trays and prevent them from tilting laterally.

In the preferred arrangement, the longitudinal center-line 40 of the conveyor is disposed outwardly beyond the discharge ends 24 of the delivery members l4, and the inner portion 4| of the base plate 36 underlies the forward part of the said extension delivery belt.

operatively associated with each of the banks of delivery extension belts are the stop plates 42, 43 and 44, these being disposed longitudinally along the conveyor belt, and spaced from the discharge ends 24 of said delivery belts, the pre-, ferred position of these stop plates being outwardly beyond the longitudinal conveyor center line 40, substantially in the region of the outer edges 45 of the upright walls 31 of the trays 35. Each of said stop plates 44 are adjustably attached to a supporting bracket 46 by a connecting member 41 which has a longitudinal slot 48 through which extends the adjusting and fastening screw 49. The bracket 46 contains at the inner end thereof a flange 50 which is attached to the said vertical bar 28. The arrangement is hence such that the stop plates 42, 43 and 44 can be adjusted transversely with respect to the conveyor center-line to a position best suited to receive an ejected card, and to cooperate with the wall 31, all in a manner to be hereinafter set forth.

Attached to the table 29 are a plurality of deflector guides, corresponding in number to the number of banks of extension delivery belts. In the preferred construction illustrated, these deflector guides are in the form of stationary cam members 52 and 53, attached to the table by suitable fastening means such as the angle bars 54. Deflector cam 5| is positioned before the bank A, deflector cam 52 is positioned in the region between banks A and B, and deflector cam 53 is positioned in the region between banks B and C. Deflector cam 5|, in the preferred form illustrated, is located at the inner side of the table, whereas the other two deflector cams are located along the outer side of the table. Each of the deflector cams contains a bar spaced above the base plates 36 of the trays, the bottom edge of the said bars being above the upper edges 55 of the lateral rear walls 38 of the trays, and below the upper edges 56 of the medial upright wall 31 of the trays. Thus, as indicated in Figures 2 and 4, the cam bar 51 has its lower edge 58 abovesaid edge 55 and below said edge 56. Each of the said cam bars are also disposed at an inclination to the centerline of the conveyor, the bars 51 and 59 being shown having substantially the same inclinations, whereas the bar 66 being shown as curved with the rear contacting portion 6| making a relatively slight angle with the conveyor centerline and the forward portion 62 approaching the conveyor at a gradually increasing inclination to provide a gradual pick up, as will more clearly hereinafter appear. The cam bars 59, 69 and 51, respectively, are so positioned as to engage and slidably move boxes on the trays 36 to various predetermined positions, as will also be hereinafter more fully explained.

In the operation of this apparatus, boxes 63 are placed upon trays at stations before the cam 5|, the boxes being of a sufficient length to accommodate, in the particular form illustrated, three stacksof cards l3, the particular form of boxes illustrated containing three partitions. As the conveyor and associated trays 35 move in the direction of arrow D, they will be first engaged by the bar 59 of cam 5|, slidably moving said boxes outwardly to the position illustrated before the delivery belt bank A. The position of boxes 64 at this stage is such that the innermost compartment 65 of each of the boxes is substantially centrally located with respect to the longitudinal center-line 40 of the conveyor (Figure l) At this position cards are delivered to each of the compartments 65, in a manner to be more fully hereinafter described. As the boxes 64 before bank A move to the left, they engage the deflecting bar of the cam 52, to be slidably moved inwardly to the second position where the intermediate compartments 66 are now positioned over the center-line 40, cards being delivered into this compartment by the extension delivery belts. Thereafter, the boxes engage the deflecting bar 51 of cam 59, to be slidably moved inwardly until the outer compartments 61 are over center-line 49, in which position cards are operatively delivered by the extension delivery belts to these outer compartments.

It will be noted that in the outermost position of the boxes, that is, before bank A, the overhang of each of the boxes is such that there may be danger of the boxes being caused to strike corner 68 of the rear wall of each tray, with a resulting turning of the boxes about edge 68 as an axis. To prevent this condition, the rearmost portion 6| of cam 52 is at a very slight inclination to the moving belt, the inclination increasing gradually, as aforesaid. The arrangement is hence such that when the boxes are engaged by cam 52, there will at the beginning be a very slight turning force, the effective force being transverse with respect to the conveyor; and thereafter, when the boxes have already been moved inwardly by the bar 66, there is less danger of a turning effect, and accordingly the inclination is increased.

It is further to be noted, that in each of the positions, the bars 59, 60 and 51, respectively, of the deflecting cams are so positioned that although they clear the rear walls 36 of each of the trays, they nevertheless engage the walls of the boxes which extend thereabove.

By referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that cards 13 are fed by rollers l2 towards the delivery member l4, each card being engaged by the coacting belt portions l1 and I8 and ejected outwardly. Thus, card |3a is ejected until it strikes stop member 44, thereby being deflected and caused to drop downwardly. And inasmuch as stop member 44 is positioned at the outer end of rear upright wall 31, stop 44 and wall 31 cooperate to direct an intercepted card downwardly into the proper compartment.

It will be further noted that the shifting of each of the boxes by the cams occurs only at positions where no card deliveries are made. Thus, cam 5| is positioned before bank A, cam 52 is positioned substantially between banks A and B at which region there are no extension delivery belts, and similarly cam 53 is positioned between banks B and C, where there are no delivery belts. Accordingly, the shifting of the boxes does not in any way interfere with the delivery of cards in their proper positions.

According to the operation above described, it will thus be apparent that any predetermined number of variously arranged cards can be continuously and progressively deposited in a plurality of stacks in boxes that are being conveyed.

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in mann r on enablesadiustmnts to be madawith he $122 of he card and the size onth boxes :iBy referi in es 5 and 6, az mbdifie'd form or: box irefleeto 1 mite observed instead oi astation'ar cam, a cons'ta ntly rotating' belt :69 serves ts p'l ce,-the -1be1tbeing-mounted over pulleys-L71] nd 'l lie-' la tter zbeingloperatively supporte' byiterm ail-*"pf bracket -ltaffixedi to table-2 :anditheiform'er being connected to drive s'haitu- 1 gr. the a belt!- 69- being spaced! above. :the tablei'thel'same "distance aforesaidrbars'of the stationary ca'msa ;Shaft 13 icamberdriven :ina any known manner, preferably;2= though: not necessarilyoby'hthe. drivingi'means ioperative'ly associated withjtliez'eonueyori;sitis: preferred, :1? or best opera-z five-results; thatsthe speed: ofzdoeltafiapwithnree spectxto: the speedcofi the conveyor be suchelthat theuvelocity.compon'entiofctherspeedofsbelt E9 in the: '3 directions ;Ofl: their conveyor she equal. i to the; speed; ofrlt'he. conveyor. This: arrangement will reduce the tendency of the engaged q-boxes 6.31 from;being;jammedlagain'stytha hack lwall 38 of; the. tra theronlyqefiective :fiorce acting upon the; may; eingzone ..transverse=:with-; the direc; tion ofi 'Qnveyorgtravel. -.Hence,-1nthe inclinae. t onj o, e mntactin wbelt 58,\,while;servingxa "'1 2; boxes a ong;the;trays c h.. hepauseioi;theraforesaidilvelocitysrea at nshioraeze rtsmo ap reciab e. turning-or other earw rd iorceuplon thezbox e is: is, lnzthe above; description;ftheinventionlnasbeen disc qsed;merely hyiway of? example and; in preferred manner; but obviouslynmany;variations;

nd me lifica ionszmanbezmade therein which will still be ecomprisedjwithin its V-spirit.v It'- is4to;he uncl 'topd' zinventionisnot ticin g same, e scee delivering sheets from the feeckiollerh-of. a:.-'gath-: ering, maehi-nepf the class :describedga zplurality of ucce sive rpairs' oactingdelitism-members positioned l {;X? e .-'V 'therebetweenrisheetsi from d ro lersn ach. of said pairs :01: l-members .s ieoeiv n a ndgancha discharge end-and flm i lll q e fi i l iiSheath-engaging: elements n usly m v ng fr msaid rec iving end- .to:-.

wardasaid -,di scharge end; a -continuous.rconveyor=r eas d below. movable: transvers ly-z with respect to the said moving-elements OfitthfiiSfiid delivery members-maid conveyor having thereon a plurality of open trays each containing a fiat base plate adapted tor-:receiveothereupon boxes for receiving the sheets, and a plurality of defiector guides disposed along the path of said conveyor in diflerent predetermined positions relative to the longitudinal center-line of the conveyor and disposed abov said base plates, whereby the guides may engage and operatively move the boxes on the said base plates to predetermined positions relative to said discharge ends of the delivery members.

2. In a distributing apparatus of the class described, the combination according to claim 1, further provided with a stop member extending longitudinally along the conveyor and above the base plates and being in spaced relation to the discharge ends of the said delivery members, whereby sheets operatively ejected from said discharge ends will be ngaged by said stop member and caused to drop downwardly.

I 1\-.- -n'a d st ibut n anemiariparian theisaidrpairs.goilidelivery memberse 6'. z imh distributin rapparatus ootheiclasscdesi scribed, the combinatiomeaccordifig'i to-:c'laim.---1*," thi saiditpairs iofa delivery:anembers'rzeachzi come pnisingaripair ofe 'c'oactingaollers EatitheJsaid; reflioeiving :en'dj an; gecond: pairsofacoacting rollers hat the 1 said discharge end, and twoubelt' zloopsieach operatively connecting a roller at thevreceiying: end and rone'attheudischange endgtwo'belt lengths of? said-.Ploops:being;:ini::adjacenti parallel Ielation';

movablentowards the saitli dischargevend and adapted 'to ngageL-therebetweem apredetermi'ned sheet: 1;; .o on: 3.x; 5* V tributingapnaratus :ohth lclassxl in SClibfifl-ZO their;combinationcaccordingl tor-claim in a pair of jcoacting rollers-a i he sai en a condopair oiecoacting ro l rsa disc ar e: andsiand t; he said eltlqooszeachapn ra ite y r ceiv endend Lone: e t e nathema is 1 .1 I :3

1 con eyor co tain ng a adapted to slidably receive thereupon a suitable sheet-containing box, and a plurality of deflector guides disposed along the path of said conveyor in difierent predetermined positions relative to the longitudinal center-line of the conveyor and disposed above said base plates, whereby the guides may engage and operatively move the boxes on the said base plates to predetermined positions relative to said discharge ends of the delivery members, the longitudinal center-line of the conveyor being disposed a predetermined distance outwardly beyond said discharge ends.

7. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, further provided with a stop member extending longitudinally along the conveyor and above the base plates and a predetermined distance outwardly beyond the said longitudinal center-line of the conveyor.

8. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim '7, the stop member being adjustable transversely with respect to the longitudinal path of the conveyor.

9. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, further provided with a stop member extending longitudinally along the conveyor and above the base plates and a predetermined distance outwardly beyond the said longitudinal center-line of the conveyor, a horizontal bracket, a support therefor, and a connecting member adjustably attached to the bracket and in supporting engagement with said stop member.

10. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, the base plates of the trays each having a portion thereof underlying the said extension members.

11. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, the base plate of each tray containing a rear upstanding wall along a predetermined medial portion thereof.

12. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, the base plate of each tray containing a rear upstanding wall along a predetermined medial portion thereof, further provided with a stop member extending longitudinally along the conveyor and above the base plates and substantially at the outer edge of said Wall, whereby the stop member and the wall may cooperate to direct an operatively ejected sheet downwardly.

13. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, the deflector guides being spaced a predetermined distance above the said base plates.

14. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, the base plate of each tray containing a rear upstanding wall along a predetermined medial portion thereof, the deflector guides being spaced a predetermined distance above the said base plates and a predetermined distance below the top edges of the said upstanding walls.

15. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, the deflector guides containing fixed bars disposed obliquely at predetermined inclinations to the longitudinal aXis of the conveyor and above thelevel of the base plates, whereby the bars may intercept and engage boxes disposed upon the base plates and cause them to slidably move transversely along said base plates.

16. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, the deflector guides containing fixed bars disposed obliquely at predetermined inclinations to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor and above the level of the base plates, whereby the bars may intercept and engage boxes disposed upon the base plates and cause them to slidably move transversely along said base plates, at least one of said bars being of curved configuration with the rear contacting portion thereof making a relatively slight angle with the longitudinal center-line of the conveyor, the forward part of the bar approaching the conveyor at a gradually increasing inclination.

17. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, at least one of the deflector guides comprising a constantly moving belt angularly disposed with respect to the longitudinal center-line of the conveyor, the belt portion facing the conveyor moving in the same general direction as the conveyor.

18. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described. the combination according to claim 6, at least one of the deflector guides comprising a constantly moving belt angularly disposed with respect to the longitudinal center-line of the conveyor, the belt portion facing the conveyor moving in the same general direction as the conveyor, the relative speeds of the deflector belt and the conveyor being such that the conveyor belt speed is substantially the same as the velocity component of the deflector belt parallel to the conveyor direction.

19. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, the said successive pairs of delivery members being arranged in banks each containing a predetermined number of such pairs, each bank being in spaced relation to the next adjacent bank, certain of the said deflector guides being disposed substantially in the region of the spaces between said banks.

20. In a gathering machine distributor of the class described, the combination according to claim 6, further provided with a table having a longitudinally split portion, the conveyor extending along said split portion, said conveyor comprising a link chain carrying a plurality of blocks each supporting one of said trays a predetermined distance above the table, and a pair of longitudinal rails flanking the said split portion and disposed below said trays.

ERIC S. HOPE.

No references cited. 

